More clubs could face European expulsion after Uefa ruling

"Uefa issued a circular on Monday to underline that 1 March is the strict deadline for compliance. It insisted there would be no extension to get around the regulations after this date. There had been speculation that the rules could be relaxed. But emboldened by the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) detailed ruling, external on Palace's failed appeal, Uefa has instead reiterated that there will be no special dispensation."

"Uefa does not permit two clubs within an ownership group to play in the same European competition. The club which finished lower in their domestic league must lose their place if there is a conflict. Before last season this appeared to be a hollow threat as no team had ever been impacted. But concerned that the spread of multi-club ownership was presenting a threat to the integrity of European competition, Uefa's Club Financial Control Body changed the rules."

"It brought forward the assessment date from 1 June to 1 March. As a result, three clubs were either demoted or removed in the summer. Palace were the highest-profile casualty. It was ruled that former co-owner John Textor had decisive influence in both the Eagles and Ligue 1 club Lyon, who had also qualified for the Europa League. League of Ireland side Drogheda United and Slovak club FC DAC 1904 lost their places in the Conference League."

UEFA will continue its hard-line position on multi-club ownership and set 1 March as the strict compliance deadline, with no extensions. UEFA prohibits two clubs within the same ownership group from competing in the same European competition, requiring the lower-placed club to forfeit its European place in case of conflict. The Club Financial Control Body advanced the assessment date from 1 June to 1 March to address growing multi-club ownership concerns. Three clubs were demoted or removed after the change, including Crystal Palace, Drogheda United and FC DAC 1904. CAS rulings backed UEFA's position that no post-deadline compliance mechanism exists.

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